Midwives disappearing in NYC

Overlawyered.com ^ | 8/22/03 | Walter Olson

[friendly]

New York City may soon be left with only a single independent center for natural childbirth: "The Brooklyn Birthing Center says its insurance company has stopped covering midwives, and a costlier new policy could push them out of the baby-birthing business as well. The news comes less than a week after the highly regarded Elizabeth Seton Childbearing Center, which delivers more than 400 babies a year, announced it will shut down its West 14th Street [Manhattan] birthing rooms on Sept. 1 because of malpractice insurance costs it says have quadrupled." All three independent midwifery centers in New Jersey closed in recent years; one remains in the Bronx which receives federal funding and insurance. (Susan Edelman, "Midwife Strife Hits Moms in Brooklyn", New York Post, Aug. 17; Dan Mangan, "Midwife Crisis", New York Post, Aug. 12). And in Tallahassee, Fla., a doubling of insurance rates has contributed to the closing of Full Circle Women's Health, a nonprofit midwifery agency whose efforts have been credited with helping reduce the county's high rate of neonatal mortality. (Jeff Burlew, "Area midwifery agency closing after 20 years", Tallahassee Democrat, Aug. 13)(more on obstetric liability

[friendly]

One of the little reported effects of the liabilty insurance crisis is loss of services to the poor and to women. For every dollar spent on the rapidly escalating shyster tax, oops I meant medical liabilty insurance, 55 to 70 cents goes directly to the lawyer industry, depending on the state. The money is wasted on court costs, including (mostly) on massive payments to defense and plaintiff shysters.

[friendly]

I would add that reform in New York is well nigh impossible. The State Assembly leader is a crooked shyster named Sheldon Silver, an owner of a mega-million dollar liablity firm. As a footnote, this thief Silver's chief aide is a recently indicted serial rapist. (Democrats all, it goes without saying).

[anniegetyourgun]

Don't you suppose this also has to do, in part, with quacks? After all, they've never been supportive of midwifery services.

[friendly]

Not sre about your question, but one cerebral palsy case or birth defect would wipe out the midwive's insurance funds.

[Sacajaweau]

Tell the mid wives to get a nursing job in a real hospital.

[friendly]

Tell the mid wives to get a nursing job in a real hospital.

Whatever... it is the end of the line for these mid-wives.

[jimtorr]

Tell the mid wives to get a nursing job in a real hospital.

You seem to be laboring under the misconception that mid-wives are some sort of quacks.

Well, you should know that licensed mid-wives are indeed highly qualified medical personell who specialize in pregnancy and child birth. There have been times throughout history, and up to fairly recently even in the USA, when mid-wives were much more qualified than most doctors in dealing with pregnant women.

There is a national shortage of nurses. If mid-wives want to work in hospitals, I'm sure they do, wherever the doctors don't fear the competition.

[mlmr]

Many midwives are not nurses.

[gopheraj]

Daughter is using a midwife for her second baby (due middle of December) She had the first one in the hospital. THey kept sending her home until she was "ready". She went to a pizza place to gorge at 2 am. She wanted to puke her guts out all over the doctor for not keeping her in the hospital. LOL All the doctor did was catch him. Since daughter didn't have any meds she figured why pay all that money for nothing. The doctor kept telling her when she would have Marshal. I told her she would have him sooner. He said that I was wrong. I wasn't. 3 weeks earlier and I was right. neener neener neener. LOL

[jimtorr]

It's true that many midwives are not nurses. It's also true that many midwives have more specialized training than an RN does.

My cousin is a Nurse Practioner specialising in premature babies. He has written and published textbooks. He once told me that he'd rather see an experienced midwife help with pregnancy and delivery than a run-of-the-mill pediatrician.

[ex-snook]

"You seem to be laboring under the misconception that mid-wives are some sort of quacks. "

I thank the quack mid-wife who helped to bring me into the world. (BTW in NYC).

[Katya]

"My cousin is a Nurse Practioner specialising in premature babies. He has written and published textbooks. He once told me that he'd rather see an experienced midwife help with pregnancy and delivery than a run-of-the-mill pediatrician."

Thank you. Mid-wives primary concern is to bring babies into the world with the least amount of stress to the mother and child. They are also less likely to grow impatient with a delivery and push for a c-section.
What's mildly amusing is the resurgence of Midwifery over the last 30 years is in part due to the New Age hippy movement. Let's see who the left will have more sympathy for now...Midwives or trial lawyers...

[savedbygrace]

Let's see who the left will have more sympathy for now...Midwives or trial lawyers...

That's an easy one - Whoever has more money to give them.

[friendly]

Let's see who the left will have more sympathy for now...Midwives or trial lawyers...

Easily answered. The Rats are a wholely owned subsidiary of the shyster industry.

[muggs]

<<<<I thank the quack mid-wife who helped to bring me into the world. (BTW in NYC).<<<<<

I thank the midwife who helped my husband and I bring our son into the world almost 25 years ago.

[friendly]

The corrupt lawyer industry will never allow young couples the choice you and your husband had.